->BattyBot at 04:51, 19 July 2021

2021-07-19T04:51:25Z

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{{Infobox organization
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| formation = {{start date|2014|df=y}}
| purpose = [[Social justice]]<br>[[Social equality]]<br>[[Social transformation]]
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| name = Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association
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| abbreviation = BAPSA
| founder =
| founding_location = [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]]
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| location = [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]]<br>[[Central University of Gujarat]]
| region = [[India]]
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| website = {{URL|https://www.facebook.com/bapsa.jnu}}
}}

'''Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association''' ('''BAPSA''') is a student organization formed on 15 November 2014 at [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]] on [[Birsa Munda]]'s birth anniversary.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/jnusu-polls-bapsa-announces-its-arrival-as-a-contender-in-jnu-political-scene-3024984/|title=JNUSU polls: BAPSA announces its arrival as a contender in JNU's political scene|date=2016-09-11|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-09-09|language=en-US}}</ref> It claims to work for student rights and the issues affecting SCs, STs, OBCs and other minority groups.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.milligazette.com/news/14942-hindutva-terror-in-jnu-student-najeeb-still-missing|title=Hindutva Terror in JNU: Student Najeeb Still Missing|last1=Kumar|first1=Abhay|website=The Milli Gazette|language=en|access-date=2018-09-09}}</ref> BAPSA says it stands for assertion,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/among-dalits-a-restlessness-mainstream-parties-choose-to-ignore-2754275/|title=Among Dalits, a restlessness mainstream parties choose to ignore|date=2016-04-15|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-09-09|language=en-US}}</ref> follows [[Ambedkarism|Ambedkarite]] ideology<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/jnu-ambedkarite-student-union-bapsa-finds-ally-kabali-49599|title=In JNU, an Ambedkarite student union, BAPSA, finds an ally in Kabali|date=2016-09-09|work=The News Minute|access-date=2018-09-09}}</ref> and is critical of both Left- and Right-wing forces on campus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://twocircles.net/2017sep07/416205.html|title=Holding onto Ambedkar: The emergence of BAPSA and the challenge to Left and Right |last=TwoCircles.net|website=twocircles.net|language=en-US|access-date=2018-09-09}}</ref> BAPSA is also active in [[Central University of Gujarat]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/education/student-election-at-cug-sixth-time-in-a-row-abvp-fails-to-get-hold-of-school-of-social-sciences/articleshow/61811876.cms|title=Student Election at CUG: Sixth time in a row ABVP fails to get hold of School of Social Sciences|work=Ahmedabad Mirror|access-date=2018-09-09}}</ref>

==Campus activities==
Founded by members of the [[United Dalit Students’ Forum]],<ref name="banu"/> BAPSA conducts rallies<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/babri-demolition-anniversary-jnu-cancels-talk-on-why-ram-mandir-in-ayodhya/story-XZAfX8MVJ6jfpmEeTY0U5I.html|title=Babri anniversary: JNU cancels all talks, seminars on topic to 'maintain harmony'|date=2017-12-06|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=2018-09-09|language=en}}</ref> and protests,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/report/protests-suggest-something-wrong-somewhere-at-jnu-delhi-hc/20170317.htm|title=Protests suggest something wrong somewhere at JNU: Delhi HC|website=www.rediff.com|access-date=2018-09-09}}</ref> as well as inviting students and teachers from the campus to talk about their issues.<ref name="banu">{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/jnu-polls-bapsa-campaigners-will-be-from-margins/story-XXJuJtzu0KKUxmqNvFhQ2L.html|title=JNU polls: BAPSA campaigners will be from 'margins'|date=2018-09-04|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=2018-09-09|language=en}}</ref>

In 2017, BAPSA blocked the JNU administration building for 20 days in protest at a cut in the number of reserved seats and changes in the entrance criteria for graduate programs which they thought would make it difficult for marginalised applicants to gain admission to study.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://worldpolicy.org/2017/12/19/how-indias-student-activists-are-standing-up-for-the-dalits/|title=How India's Student Activists are Standing Up for the Dalits - World Policy|date=2017-12-19|work=World Policy|access-date=2018-09-09|language=en-US}}</ref> In February 2018, BAPSA protested the [[Tata Institute of Social Sciences]] administration’s decision to withdraw financial aid to students from the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class communities.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://scroll.in/latest/870097/tiss-strike-students-march-in-solidarity-with-peers-in-delhi-submit-letter-to-hrd-minister|title=TISS strike: Students in Delhi march in solidarity with peers, submit letter to HRD minister|author=Scroll Staff|work=Scroll.in|access-date=2018-09-09|language=en-US}}</ref>

==JNUSU elections==
BAPSA has contested the [[Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union]] (JNUSU) polls since 2016.<ref name="banu"/> ''[[The Hindu]]'' noted after the 2017 elections, where the BAPSA presidential candidate finished third, that the result showed "there was space for a party that did not subscribe to the Left-Right binary. With every election, the Ambedkarite forces have put up a better show basing their campaign on the 'unity of the oppressed' slogan."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/united-left-sweeps-jnusu-election/article19657245.ece|title=United Left sweeps JNUSU election|author=Staff Reporter|date=2017-09-11|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-09-09|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

The 2017 elections to the JNUSU Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) were won by BAPSA's Magare Bhupali Vithal. The elections were not recognised by the university authorities and were held in protest at the administration's disbandment of the GSCASH.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/in-protest-jnu-elects-4-members-to-gscash-4866429/|title=In protest, JNU elects 4 members to GSCASH|date=2017-09-29|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-09-09|language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad]]
*[[Ambedkar Students' Association]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{Facebook|bapsa.jnu|Official page}}

[[Category:Student organisations in India]]
[[Category:Student organizations established in 2014]]
[[Category:2014 establishments in Delhi]]
[[Category:Ambedkarites]]
[[Category:Dalit politics]]

Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association - Revision history

->BattyBot at 04:51, 19 July 2021